How to track weight loss in gem cutting
· GemColony
Why yield decides profit
A rough stone loses a large share of its weight when cut. The finished weight against the rough weight is the yield, and a few percentage points of yield across a season can decide whether a lot made money.
Record weight at each stage
Weigh the stone when it arrives, after sorting, after preforming, after faceting and after polishing, and write down who did each stage. The loss at each stage shows where material disappears and whether it was a decision (cutting for colour) or a mistake.
Compare cutters fairly
Speed and yield differ with the stone and the design, so compare like with like: the same type of stone and the same cut. Look at time per stone, yield and rework.
Using software
GemColony's lapidary workflow follows each stone through its stages, records weight loss at each, assigns staff and shows performance, so the numbers come from the workflow rather than a separate sheet.